


Choice

by Vanta22exual



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Angst, M/M, can i even write anything that isn't angst anymore, i doubt it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 08:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19970842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanta22exual/pseuds/Vanta22exual
Summary: Things don't quite seem right when Army wakes up. When Aloha takes him on a walk, he ends up having to make a choice.





	Choice

5 AM. Army always got up around this time. Sitting up in bed, he stretched with a soft grunt before looking around the room. It was eerily quiet, even for the time of day. Looking next to him, he found the other half of the bed deserted. Aloha probably slept at his Team Base or at one of his friend’s houses. Army never minded, he knew he could trust the other, despite how wild and unpredictable he might seem. 

Knowing the pink inkling, he would come home around noon, liably bringing him some flowers or a few new spices he found while wandering the market as an apology for not making it back in time. He appreciated it, but it was never necessary. 

How long had it been since they got together now? Two years? Three? Perhaps longer, Army honestly tended to lose track of time much more often recently. Perhaps he needed to stop overworking himself. He forgot things and often accidentally isolated himself without meaning to. Aloha usually was the one to drag him out of it, he appreciated the other for what he did. 

Getting up, the drill sergeant slowly shuffled through their shared apartment to head to the kitchen. He might as well get started on making some coffee. Strangely enough, he didn’t feel like going on his usual morning run, or working through the rest of his morning routine. He supposed it would be fine if he skipped it for a day, it wouldn’t kill him. 

Sitting down at the table, Army realized that he felt much less...energetic than usual. It was a little odd, he felt like he could crawl right back into bed and fall asleep. Perhaps it was a little worrying, but nothing he should freak out over. Perhaps he was simply having a bad day, nothing more. 

The apartment was still too quiet. He didn’t like it. Without thinking, he leaned over, grabbing the radio Aloha always left on the kitchen table before turning it on, relaxing slightly as a soft tune began to play, filling the silence with something other than the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. 

Relaxing slightly in his chair, he closed his eyes and took in the sound of the radio, almost not catching the sound of the coffee maker announcing with a beep that his beverage was finished. With a soft sigh, he got to his feet, dragging himself back over to the counter before pouring himself a cup of tea. Why did everything feel like it took so much more energy today? What was happening to him? 

Shaking that thought, Army turned around to go get milk for his coffee, only to jump with a shriek when he suddenly came face to face with no other than Aloha himself. The pink inkling simply stood there, a soft smile on his face, stunning as always, but strangely quiet. Usually Aloha made his presence known the moment he came home, either by calling out to Army or at least spooking the other by wrapping his arms around him while whispering into his ear. For him to simply stand there silently was...odd.

“Goodness Aloha, do you need to startle me like that?” Army huffed, slowly calming down from the shock. Aloha simply gave a soft chuckle, his voice sounding just a little...off. “I’m sorry love, you’re just so cute when you’re startled…” he hummed quietly before leaning in, pressing a soft kiss to Army’s cheek. 

The gesture was accepted, as was the apology, Army simply rolling his eyes before turning around, moving to turn on the coffee maker once more. “Why are you awake anyway? Did you just get home? I didn’t even hear you.” Before he could continue however, he felt a hand on his arm, Aloha stopping him from turning on the machine and instead turning him around and pulling him closer to the other. Although as he did, Army tensed with a shudder, pushing the other off slightly.

“God, you’re  _ freezing _ ! What did you  _ do _ ?” It earned him another chuckle from the pink inkling, although it sounded significantly more hollow than before. Aloha didn’t seem to care about the other pushing him off, simply pulling Army closer again. “Don’t worry about it. After all, I have you here to warm me up, don’t I~?” 

The orange inkling let out a displeased huff, wriggling in the other’s embrace. Something about just how cold the other was unsettling to him. No inkling should be able to be this cold, not without some serious damage to their ink. “Aloha I’m serious, what did you do? You shouldn’t be this cold, it seems dangerous. Let me go, we need to get you a blanket or something at the very least.” 

Before Army could attempt to wriggle out of the other’s grip however, Aloha simply leaned in, giving him a nuzzle and another peck. While he usually appreciated the affectionate gestures, with just how cold the other felt, they left Army shivering. “I said it’s fine Army. Don’t worry about it. Not to mention, I’ve got a trip planned for us, there’s no time to get a blanket.” 

“A trip? Aloha I don’t think-” Before Army could argue much further, he found a cold finger pressed to his lips, and only a moment later, Aloha let him go, instead grabbing his hand and moving to tug him along. “Oh come on sourpuss, it’s something important, we shouldn’t wait around too long.” 

“Important? What do you mean?” Army found himself too dumbfounded to argue again as he let the other slowly tug him along, out of the kitchen, through their living room and soon out the door. Something about Inkopolis that day was...off. Just like the apartment, it seemed too quiet. In fact, Army didn’t see a single soul bustling around the streets as he followed Aloha, who seemed to have his mind set on their destination already. “Where is everyone…?” 

“Oh, who knows? Maybe there’s a  _ really  _ good party somewhere? Or maybe they don’t feel like coming out today, who knows? Don’t worry about it love.” But worry about it Army did, very much so. Especially when they reached the Square. Not a single inkling or jelly was in sight. If that weren’t already unsettling enough, all the shops seemed to be closed as well, and Army knew from personal experience that at least Sheldon never left his store unattended, no matter the situation. Something about all of this made the tentacles on the back of his neck stiffen and his hand clutch Aloha’s just a little tighter. 

The pink inkling seemed to notice, stopping for a moment and giving Army a soft smile. “Hey, it's okay love. You trust me, right? I wouldn’t lead you anywhere bad.” Army hesitated, he  _ did  _ trust Aloha, but with everything that seemed off, something set off alarm bells. “I do but...this, this just doesn’t seem right. Everyone is gone and, it's just- it’s too quiet. I feel like something is horribly wrong…” 

Aloha let out a soft sigh, turning completely before moving to gently cup Army’s cheek with one of his hands, running his thumb over it. “You don’t remember anything, do you?” 

Something about the question, perhaps it was the way Aloha asked, perhaps it was the expression of pity the other wore as he did, but it made shivers creep up his back. He didn’t like it, he didn’t like it  _ at all _ . “What do you mean, I don’t remember anything?” 

The party king’s expression slowly dropped, fingers still gently stroking the other’s cheek, although they were still so cold, too cold. “You remember our last tournament, right? The one we had to travel to the other city for?” 

Army took a few moments to remember, somehow his memory felt foggy, but he did recall what Aloha mentioned. It had been a surprise invitation, another city wanted the famous S4 to take part in their tournament to drum up some publicity. While neither of them were too interested, their PR team insisted on them going, so they hardly had a choice. “Well...yes. Just about. We went up against that rowdy team in the semi finals if I remember correctly.” 

Aloha let out a soft hum of acknowledgement, his eyes a little hazy as he seemed to remember something, his fingers having stopped moving. “Right...that team…” Army still wasn’t sure where Aloha was going with this. If they had been taking part in a tournament in another city, then why were they in Inkopolis? Why was everyone gone? The more Aloha explained, the more questions Army seemed to have.

“Ah...perhaps it’s better if I don’t remind you…” Aloha trailed off, his hand moving away from Army’s cheek. Only a moment later, it sought out the other’s hand again, moving to tug the Orange Inkling over to the lobby tower. Army still wasn’t sure what the other was talking about, and quite frankly, it was starting to annoy him. He hated not knowing things, it irked him to no end.

“Aloha please, you need to stop being so cryptic-” Before he could say much else, the doors of the tower slid open. However instead of the usual elevator that would take one to the different lobbies, what greeted them instead was a blinding white light. One might have described it as soothing, although for Army, something about it pulled up a deep feeling of dread. Slipping his hand out of Aloha’s, he took a step back, scowling.

“Aloha...what is going on here? Where  _ are  _ we?” By this point, Army was rather sure that this  _ wasn’t  _ Inkopolis. Too many things were wrong, even if it looked like it, it didn’t feel like it. The blinding void occupying the tower had simply been the last straw. 

Aloha let out a low sigh, looking between the soft glow and his partner. After a moment, he stepped closer to Army, taking his hands once more. “Army...I won’t be able to come back to Inkopolis again. It’s- It’s too much to explain right now, it hurts. I just wanted to see you one more time and...and I know it's selfish but… I want you to come with me. I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to leave  _ you _ alone. But I have no choice of staying. But you, you have the choice of coming with me, if you want. I won’t force you to, I’m not selfish enough for that. But I love you Army, more than anything and I- I just don’t want to lose you.” 

The pink inkling’s voice got quieter and quieter as he spoke, by the end Army strained to listen to what he said. Once again, more questions cropped up. Where was Aloha going? Why did he have no choice of staying? Why was this conversation making him feel so odd, like the weight of a heavy decision was resting on his shoulders? He loved Aloha, he did with all his heart, but could he really abandon everything else? His Team, Mask, Skull, Inkopolis? The decision certainly wasn’t an easy one. 

“Why do I have to choose? Why can’t you come back? Aloha, I don’t like the way you’re talking, what happened? Did you get in trouble with someone? I’m sure we can sort it out, if it’s with the turfing committee I can always put in a good word for you-” Before Army could say much else, he found a finger pressed against his lips, Aloha giving him this sad little smile that told him more than a thousand words ever could. No matter what he said or offered, it seemed the other really couldn’t change the fact that he was leaving. 

The looming void behind them still unsettled Army, something about it having a strange pull, but it also made shivers run down his back. Where did it lead? Why was Aloha trying to bring him into it earlier? Was this where he had to go? If Army followed him, would they have no way of returning? His eyes shifted from the void back to the pink inkling, and Army found himself more conflicted than before. He didn’t want to leave Aloha’s side, but he also didn’t want to give up everything he had in Inkopolis.

“Why do I have to make a choice? How is this fair? Why are you leaving, I still don’t understand. I hate it…” Army would like to think he had himself under control, but before he knew it, tears of frustration slowly rolled down his cheeks. He felt like a squidling, crying because he was forced to choose between two things he wanted, unable to have them both. His fingers curled into the fabric of Aloha’s shirt, holding onto him like he was his last lifeline. 

The pink Inkling simply moved to pull Army against his chest, gently running his fingers down his back in an attempt to soothe him. “I know darling, I know...I wish I didn’t have to make you choose… You’re free to go back without me, you still have the opportunity to. You don’t have to follow me, not yet, not if you’re not ready…” 

Despite Aloha’s words, or perhaps because of them, Army felt sobs shaking his body harder and harder, hiding his face in the other’s chest. He didn’t want to let go, he didn’t want to lose Aloha. Although after a few minutes of simply clinging to the other and trying to calm himself down, Aloha slowly moved to unlatch Army’s fingers from his shirt, only causing another wave of tears to spill from the usually so energetic drill sergeant. 

“I’m sorry love...I’m running out of time..” Aloha’s expression fell slightly, the soft smile from before shifting into a slight frown. Just like Army hated having to make a choice, Aloha hated having to put this on Army. He hated seeing his little trooper upset like this, and knowing that he was the reason, it only made him loathe it even more. 

Army tried to make another grab for his shirt, although Aloha simply grabbed his hand, running his fingers over the other’s knuckles. “I know it’s hard, but I have to go.” 

The orange inkling was reeling, he had to do something, he had to stop Aloha somehow. The other let go of his hand and turned around, and for a moment, he could feel the other slipping from him, and the feeling it left him with was terrifying. It was an empty feeling that seemed to eat through his very heart, leaving him breathless for a moment before he finally found his voice, stumbling a few steps forward before managing to catch the back of the other’s shirt.    
  
“W-Wait!” 

Aloha let out a soft sigh, turning slightly. “Army, please, don’t make it harder-” he could barely finish his sentence before Army quickly interrupted him, stepping closer and taking his hand, squeezing it slightly. “No. I- I want to go with you. I don’t want you to leave. Not by yourself.” 

Needless to say, the party king was left stumped for a moment. He had expected a lot of things, but for Army to agree on his own terms? Even with all the time they had shared together, this was unexpected. Army had so much to go back for, his team, his work, not to mention Mask and Skull. They could always find a replacement for him if need be after all. “Are you sure about this love? I don’t want you to regret it…” 

Army didn’t even hesitate, nodding before leaning up, pressing a gentle kiss to Aloha’s lips. “Positive. I don’t want you to leave me.” 

There was a moment of quiet consideration before Aloha gave him another soft smile, returning the kiss with one of his own. “Very well then.” Without further ado, he lead the other into the light, a tranquil feeling washing over both of them as they became enveloped.

\--------------------------

“You’re watching Inkopolis News! Studio here, we’ve received updates of the fire that broke out in Calamari City yesterday. The suspects that have been caught were apparently contestants in the current tournament. Police believe that the motive was revenge for being beaten during the semi-finals. 

The fire broke out at approximately 3am at the Calamari Hotel, engulfing several floors and causing massive damage. Firefighters are still battling with the remains of the blaze, and so far it seems like the tournament will have to be put on hold indefinitely. Sources confirm that there have been 5 deaths and several hundred injuries so far, among them some of Inkopolis’ brightest. S4’s Aloha has been confirmed dead after first responders discovered his corpse blocked in his hotel room by fallen rubble. S4’s Army is confirmed to be in critical condition- 

Just a moment- We just got an update in. I regret to inform you that S4’s Army has just passed away a few minutes ago after a long and grueling battle with his injuries. This leaves Mask and Skull as the last surviving members of the legendary-”

Turning the TV off, Skull leaned back against his pillow, vacant eyes staring at the ceiling. Two of his friends, gone in a single night. If he had just been a little faster, a little stronger. He remembered directing Mask to escape before going back for Army. He had thought Aloha had already escaped by then. How foolish. He would be blaming himself for the deaths for years to come, knowing himself. Closing his eyes, he slowly drifted off to sleep, at least he could see them in his dreams.

  
  



End file.
